St. Augustine Find Guess what was found just south of Jacksonville .. Near the St. Augustine outlet, in a new KB homes
subdivision.
St. Augustine Record
October 1, 2009
ST. AUGUSTINE - Brandon Booth didn't think a whole lot about the 7-foot, 3-inch rattlesnake.
A resident at Tuscany Village townhomes near Florida 16 and Interstate 95 at St. Augustine called Booth, who owns A-1 Trapper Man, on Sunday to come get the snake from near the entrance to the development.
"Actually, I've killed them bigger than that before," he said. "It's rare, [but] it's not like hitting the lottery or anything. If you look hard enough, you'll find them."
St. Johns County deputies were also called to the scene, and they photographed the snake, an eastern diamondback rattler.
Their photos were published in The Record on Wednesday and made it appear longer than what Booth measured it at.
The largest eastern diamondback recorded was 8 feet long.
Still, Joy Hill, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said it was "a formidable rattlesnake."
Actually, rattlesnakes that size were commonplace, she said.
"It's another victim of development because a lot of people just don't like snakes," Hill said. "They sure don't want a rattlesnake around their house."
Even Booth.
"I was always brought up that the only good poisonous snake is a dead poisonous snake," he said.
Booth took the snake to Jacksonville on Wednesday and gave it to a guy who runs a muffler shop and also makes things from snake skin.
He could have made $700 on it - $100 for each foot. Instead, he traded it for future car repairs.
But there's a price he doesn't want to pay.
"I've been struck at a whole bunch of times," he said. "I've never been bitten - knock on wood, I won't be."
Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-10-01/story/huge_rattlesnake_found_near_st_augustine#ixzz25tZYTMZ8
Huge rattlesnake found near St. Augustine
The 7-footer was taken at a development near St. Augustine.
St. Augustine Record
October 1, 2009
ST. AUGUSTINE - Brandon Booth didn't think a whole lot about the 7-foot, 3-inch rattlesnake.
A resident at Tuscany Village townhomes near Florida 16 and Interstate 95 at St. Augustine called Booth, who owns A-1 Trapper Man, on Sunday to come get the snake from near the entrance to the development.
"Actually, I've killed them bigger than that before," he said. "It's rare, [but] it's not like hitting the lottery or anything. If you look hard enough, you'll find them."
St. Johns County deputies were also called to the scene, and they photographed the snake, an eastern diamondback rattler.
Their photos were published in The Record on Wednesday and made it appear longer than what Booth measured it at.
The largest eastern diamondback recorded was 8 feet long.
Still, Joy Hill, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said it was "a formidable rattlesnake."
Actually, rattlesnakes that size were commonplace, she said.
"It's another victim of development because a lot of people just don't like snakes," Hill said. "They sure don't want a rattlesnake around their house."
Even Booth.
"I was always brought up that the only good poisonous snake is a dead poisonous snake," he said.
Booth took the snake to Jacksonville on Wednesday and gave it to a guy who runs a muffler shop and also makes things from snake skin.
He could have made $700 on it - $100 for each foot. Instead, he traded it for future car repairs.
But there's a price he doesn't want to pay.
"I've been struck at a whole bunch of times," he said. "I've never been bitten - knock on wood, I won't be."
Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-10-01/story/huge_rattlesnake_found_near_st_augustine#ixzz25tZYTMZ8
